MEC set for Oct 17 by-elections

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has said registration for the long-awaited October 17 by-elections will take place from August 24 to 28.

MEC commissioner Elvey Mtafu said this yesterday in Blantyre when she officially opened a two-day workshop on registration and nomination processes.

“As MEC, we have done all the preparations for the forthcoming by-elections and we are ready.

Mtafu: We are ready

“We are training these officers to have full knowledge of the electoral processes such as registration, verification and nomination. After the workshop, they will be deployed to districts where they will further train others on the processes for the by-elections and in 2018, for the 2019 Tripartite Elections,” she said.

Mtafu also said MEC will register only eligible voters who are 18 years old or will be 18 by October 17 and those who failed to register in 2013 and did not vote in 2014.

“This development came after a court ruling that ordered MEC to register other people to vote in the by-elections. This was after MEC decided that those who will vote in the by-elections should be the only ones who voted in 2014,” she said.

Emmelia Blessings Chadza, an officer in the Department of Civic and Voter Education at MEC, said the training will empower her to talk to chiefs and villagers on the importance of registering and voting.

“Our duty will be to conduct civic education during elections time. We will conduct civic education in all six areas holding by-elections from August 18 to 20,” she said.

The by-elections will take place in three constituencies, namely Lilongwe Nsodzi North, Lilongwe City South-East and Nsanje Lalanje constituencies and three wards, namely Mayani North Ward in Dedza, Mtsiliza in Lilongwe City West and Ndirande-Makata in Malabada, Blantyre. n